All the Words Under the Sun
by Shamise
Summary: Drabble Collection. Through the Hemisphere: When Atem got a new job as a night guard, the last thing he expected was to be abducted by aliens. Well, one alien, who seemed pretty dedicated to turning his life upside down.
1. Spirit Partner 01

So I've finally decided to post a drabble collection. :) I hope you enjoy it!

Summary: Atem is new to the whole "protect the universe" thing. Yuugi just kind of...showed up one morning after a nightmare that Atem couldn't even remember. He is clingy and terrible at explaining anything aside from "hunting," something Atem wants no part of. It took Atem a little bit to get used to being the only one to see Yuugi, something Yuugi enjoyed a little bit too much.

~(*)~

If Atem had time in his very, very busy schedule, he would admit that today was a nice day. Unfortunately, he did _not_ have time to notice, and his nuisance of a spirit partner was going to make him late for his club meeting. Not that he even _wanted_ to go. Hell, he'd rather chase Yuugi around all day instead of going to the stupid club meeting. But his _idiot_ of a teacher got the notion in her head that Atem needed an extracurricular activity.

"Yuugi! Get down, now!" Atem ducked his head as people walking by gave him concerned looks. _Of course_ no one else could see Yuugi.

"_Hmmm?_"

Atem tried to inconspicuously glare up at the top of the streetlight his spirit partner had decided to lounge upon. His deep red scales were bright against the backdrop of buildings and blue sky. He _would_ have stood out, but if Atem looked close enough, he could see the lines of the building behind him.

"Get down, _please,_" he forced out behind clenched teeth.

"_But it's so warm up here. The sun feels delightful."_

"Yuugi, if you don't get down now I will _leave _you there." The threat was empty, they both knew that. After the way Yuugi talked about "hunting," Atem didn't trust him enough to leave him alone. Yuugi _said_ he didn't hunt people, but who knew what the spirit considered a "person." Grumbling under his breath, Atem made one last desperate attempt to get Yuugi moving. "If you get down, I'll let you sleep in my bed tonight."

"_Really?_"

"Yes," it was a strangled promise. He had found out quickly, that Yuugi craved heat (he was half snake, after all). So much so that he religiously tried to sneak into Atem's bed at night to share body heat. "But that's it! One night of me...refraining from kicking you out."

"_Deal._" Yuugi's voice was much closer, and Atem jumped. His face burning, Atem glared meaningfully at his spirit partner. "_Let's go, other me, we don't want to be late for that meeting."_


	2. Spirit Partner 02

Spirit Partner 02. Prompt: club.

~(*)~

Yuugi was relatively quiet for the rest of the walk to the school. He would suspiciously pause at the entrances to alleyways, and make a weird clicking sound with his tongue.

"We don't have time for this," Atem grumbled and sped up his walk. "Leave the shadows alone and hurry up."

"_The shadows can be dangerous,"_ Yuugi replied. _"It would be wise not to ignore them."_

"It's seven in the _morning;_ the only things dangerous this early are coffee-addicts and bus drivers."

"_You do not yet see._"

"See what? That you're being annoying?"

His spirit partner made a sound that was stuck in between being offended and exasperated. Atem held back the urge to apologize. He wasn't normally so...tactless, but with all these strange things happening he couldn't find it in himself to think before he spoke. Yuugi was, no matter what he claimed, a delusion caused by stress anyway.

Yuugi made nor more attempts at talking, and Atem hurried on his way. The school was just around the next block. He was going to have to be in some resemblance of a decent mood before he got there. The lady in the office checked him in with a tired smile, and Atem briskly walked to the classroom the meeting was in.

"_Wait," _Atem paused and looked over his shoulder at his spirit partner. _"There is something..."_ Yuugi's voice trailed off before an amused smile spread across his face. "_Never mind, go on ahead."_

"_Please_ behave today," Atem murmured as he stopped in front of the door. He took a deep breath and said a prayer for his sanity. He knocked on the door, and slid it open.

"Excuse me, is this where 'Cave Exploration' is...meeting," his entrance was met by five people, four of them wearing his school uniform, plus one aggravating teacher. Behind all of the students were a translucent creature, each varying in size and, apparently, species. His spirit partner's laughter made his temper flare, and he pivoted to stop right back out the door.

"That's it!"


	3. Through the Hemisphere 01

Through the Hemisphere

Part 1

Summary: When Atem got a new job as a night guard, the last thing he expected was to be abducted by aliens. Well, one alien, who seemed pretty dedicated to turning his life upside down.

~(*)~

"Eh, take me to your leader?"

Atem held his weapon tighter. He was confused, and caught off guard. This strange man across from him looked human, but nothing human could get into the security of this building so quietly. The man appeared to be around eighteen years old. He was the same height as Atem, which was just below average, and his outfit looked rather eccentric. It was a mix of a dark shirt, pants, a cloak, and buckles.

"What are you doing here?" Atem demanded. His gun did not waver, he had a job to do. "This is a restricted area, you are not allowed in here."

"Sorry, sorry," the man apologized. His posture remained relaxed, as if he wasn't concerned by the weapon pointed at him. "I didn't mean to intrude." He trailed off after that, and his eyes wandered around the hallway he had been caught in.

"State your name and business," Atem demanded.

"Oh! Sorry, where are my manners. I am called Yugi Mouto, and I afraid that I'm lost."

"Lost..." Atem repeated. "You can't just get "lost" here." The area was always locked down and it was watched by sentries and video cameras. If this man had gotten in from the outside, they would have known about it. Atem reached for his communicator. This had the potential of being very dangerous. He quickly pressed the call button on his belt, and pulled his walkie-talkie from it's loop.

"Sir? We have an intruder in hallway 6-0-3. Identified as a Yugi Mouto. Claims to be..."lost."

There was a pause on the other end of the walkie, and Atem continued to watch Mouto. He did not seem very concerned. If anything he seemed to be more interested in Atem. It gave Atem the chills, and not the good ones, and made him feel like Mouto was trying to look _inside_ him.

"Copy that, sentry 1-0-2. A detainment unit is on the way."

"Detainment unit? That doesn't sound good." Mouto seemed distracted, and it made Atem nervous that he wasn't the least bit concerned as to what could happen to him. His eyes trailed to Atem's face, and after some squinting, seemed to find what he was looking for. "Oh my," he took two quick steps forward, suddenly within reaching distance of Atem. Unable to move, Atem held his breath as Mouto reached up for his face. Something inside his head squirmed, and fuzzy, black spots entered his vision. "That's quite a nasty bug you have there."

The loud thud of combat boots on the tiled floor snapped Atem out of whatever held him still. He jerked back and reasserted his gun's position, this time pointed at Mouto's head. "What did you do?" he murmured. Mouto just smiled, and Atem couldn't pin-point what kind of smile it was. The fuzzy, black spots continued to float around his vision as they stared at each other.

The moment, whatever it was, was over as the detainment unit came quickly from behind Mouto. The man turned to watch them approach, and slowly raised his hands above his head.

The officer of the detainment unit came up to him after Mouto was taken into custody. "Stand down, sentry 1-0-2." With a start, Atem realized that he still had his weapon raised. Slowly, he lowered it, and put it away in his holster. "We will need you to come with us for debriefing." Atem nodded. He knew the protocol.

"Yes, sir." He fell into line as the detainment unit marched off down the hall. He spared a glance at Mouto, who appeared to be completely at ease amidst circle of guards, even though they all had guns pointed at him.

The walk to the interrogation rooms was a quiet one, and Atem's mind raced with questions. Most prevalent was "what the hell just happened?". One minute, he was doing just fin, then this...man pops up and could have cost him his job! If Atem had let Mouto touch him, who knows what could have happened. He obviously wasn't normal and considering the circumstances here, he could tell something was off.

He was lead to a small gray room, and the commanding officer told him that someone would be by shortly to debrief him. Once he was gone, Atem sat down at the table, and waited. Mouto was probably being taken to a similar room, most likely with more security measurements than this one. He wondered who would interrogate him. The Organization probably had a whole team for stuff like this, and he wondered if he would know the person. The only people he really saw were his superiors, the secretary, and some of the people who worked in the offices. He supposed he could have been more social and gotten to know some of his coworkers, but he never had been good at conversations.

The door swung open, and Atem pulled out of his musings. A woman in a uniform he couldn't identify, aside from the little Organization symbol over her left breast. She carried with her a clipboard, and a gun nestled in its holster at her hip. A silver name tag pinned right above her right breast read: "Chonos." Atem assumed this was her last name.

"Sentry 1-0-2, you're name is Atem Nomanaki, correct?" Her voice was clipped and professional.

"Yes, ma'am."

"You've been employed here for three months as a night-guard."

"Yes, ma'am."

"You're record is mostly clean, with one minor altercation before you're employment here, and you're superiors have nothing bad to say about your work ethic."

Unsure why he was being asked these questions and if he should answer, he kept quiet. Her stare was unnerving, and it made him feel like she was running some kind of experiment, like he was a Guinea pig. He didn't like it.

"Alright, so tell what happened tonight."

Taking a deep breath, Atem told his side of events. He started with who he saw, when and where, moved on to how Mouto popped up out of nowhere, the conversation that followed, and then the detainment units appearance. His nervousness from before eased slightly. He might not be good with talking to people, but he _did_ have a good memory.

"Did this Mouto character say anything strange before the DU got here?"

"He...said something about a bug, ma'am."

"A bug?" Atem didn't miss how her body tensed. "Did he specify what kind of bug?"

"No, ma'am." Atem pulled his hands close to his body. "He just said, "that's a nasty bug." The woman's face contorted into a series of expressions. He recognized anger and disgust, but the others changed so quickly he couldn't pick them a part. Her grip on her clipboard tightened till her knuckles turned white, and her jaw clenched.

Atem was completely ready to leave now. His nerves, which were normally easy to control, made him feel twitchy and ready to run. It was reminiscent of middle school, before he had started taking self-defense classes to ward off the bullies. The nervousness of knowing that something dangerous was lurking about.

"Is that all, ma'am?" The woman's eyes snapped onto him as he spoke. It could all just be in his head. In all honesty, his head had been feeling funny ever since his encounter with Mouto. There was a long pause before the woman said anything, and the air grew thicker with each passing second.

"Yes," she finally said. "You may return to your post."

Atem swallowed his breath of relief and he stood and exited the room. He didn't care if he appeared hurried, he just wanted to be away from that woman. He briskly walked down the hallway, back to his scheduled post, and didn't relax until he had turned the corner.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" he mumbled, stopping a moment to collect himself. He hadn't been that nervous in a _long_ time!

"I wonder if she is always like that." He continued on his way to his post. His superior was going to want to know exactly what happened, and he was big on details. "Great."

A tremor passed through the floor, startling Atem out of his thoughts, and an explosion of sound nearly knocked him off of his feet.

"What the hell?!" Atem pulled his gun out of its holster and ran towards the sound. His walkie garbled noise at him, and he hastily grabbed it. Nothing understandable came out, and he was forced to turn it off as the noises became louder. Footsteps pattered in the adjacent hallway, from the direction of the loud noise earlier.

_That can't be one of our people,_ Atem thought. _It doesn't sound like boots or heels, and the only people here right now are the guards and the woman from earlier._ He raised his gun and readied his stance.

Mouto careened around the corner, his shoes screeching on the tiled floor. He ran right into him, with barely enough time to acquire a surprised expression. Atem hit the floor with a 'thud,' and they went rolling.

"You!" Atem tried to right himself, only to be pushed back over as Mouto also tried to scramble up. "H-hey!" He grabbed onto Mouto's arm and pulled him back. "What do you think you are doing?"

"No time!" Mouto yelled at him.

"No time, my ass!" Atem swore. He grabbed at Mouto again, who was trying to continue his run down the hall. "You're not supposed to be out running around!"

Suddenly, a giant screech ripped through the air, forcing Atem to let go of Mouto to protect his ears. Mouto winced, seemingly not as affected by the noise as Atem was. The ear-shattering noise fell away, and something massive swerved around the corner. It stopped at the sight of them, breathing heavily.

"The hell?!"

It was like an actor from a B-rated sci-fi film just decided to pop on by for a cup of coffee, while still in full alien costume. It was a nasty thing, standing six feet tall and three feet wide. Long, spider-like legs supported a massive head. There was a human face nestled in among the gray wrinkles, and a humanoid body suspended just underneath it.

"_Hunteeeeeer!"_ It screamed. Atem knew that face, it was Ms. Chonos, the lady who interrogated him!

The monster with the face of Ms. Chonos loomed over them, its body quivered with the need to chase. Atem's fight-or-flight desire went haywire, and he stood frozen to the spot. His head pounded when the monster's face swiveled to look at him. Its eyes were glassy, and the pupil was elongated sideways like a frog's. No amount of training could have prepared him for this moment, and he knew he was going to die. It didn't stare at him for long, and with a screech, it lunged at him.

The hair on the back of his neck rose, and suddenly Mouto appeared behind him. He had reached over Atem's shoulder, pressing him down into a more guarded position, and struck at the approaching monster. It screamed and reared back, hands clutching the sudden wound on its massive head. A large, glassy claw curved defensively in front of him. It was nearly see-through, with red and black veins inside. There was no hint of a human hand inside. Mouto's other hand pressed against his shoulder, and a quick look showed that a glass sheath was slowly growing over it.

"Dammit," Mouto cursed, and his voice broke the shock that had fallen over Atem. Head still pounding, he gathered his wits and rolled out from underneath Mouto, grabbing his gun as he went. His gun swiveled from the Mouto, to the monster, and back.

"What the hell is going on?!" he yelled at Mouto. It only made his head hurt worse, and caused the monster to turn its attention to him. Once again, it lunged at him, and before he could train his gun on it, it was knocked away by Mouto and his glass claws.

"Pay attention!" Mouto yelled back. Atem shook his head as his vision turned cloudy. He could barely see Mouto step in front of him, holding off the monster, and sound was muffled. _What the hell is going on?_ His body felt like it was on fire, and his brain felt like it was trying to hide in the tiniest corner of his skull.

"Run!" Mouto's command rang out clear in his ears, and he obeyed without a second thought. He ran, barely able to keep himself from running into a wall. Mouto was right behind him, and his voice was the only thing that could be heard through the noise. The monster grew close, and they swerved into an office room. They dodged between rows of cubicles, and he was suddenly pushed aside.

Chaos reigned in the room as they were joined by a detainment unit. Gunfire rang out, and Atem hid behind an overturned desk. He had lost his gun in the scramble, and not even his bullet-proof vest could save him if he got caught in the crossfire.

"Pitiful humans!" A voice he hadn't heard screamed. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard, and had an echo quality. Atem's heart beat faster. He peeked around the corner of the desk, and caught sight of someone being impaled on one of the monster's spear-like legs. "I will kill you all!" He watched in horror as the monster decimated the room, bullets bounced off of its hide. One poor soul kept firing his gun, even when a spike drove through his mid-section. His gun that aimed towards Atem as he died.

"No!" There was a blur of movement and suddenly Mouto was in front of him. Mouto crumpled not a second later, clutching a bleeding wound in his stomach. Atem stared, and the monster roared in the background. The sight of Mouto's blood made his body tense up, and for a moment, his head was clear. Reacting in the only way he could think of, he grabbed Mouto and pulled him behind the desk. No, it wasn't a good idea to move someone with a bullet wound, but there was a blood-thirsty monster looking to kill everyone. Mouto would have to deal with it.

His hand brushed over the glass claws, and electricity shot through his system. He and Mouto swore, for different reasons but with the same intensity. Atem lost focus on Mouto as his body curled in on itself. His hand pulled at his hair, trying desperately to still the pounding in his head. The sound of gunfire and fighting disappeared , and the monster screamed in triumph. Atem's voice warbled as his voice struggled to answer.

It hurt; it hurt so bad!

"_Come out, come out wherever you are,_" the monster growled. It shuffled around the room, overturning desks and chairs as it went. It was close to them now, and Atem trembled under the force in his head.

"_Found you_."

The desk he was hiding behind gave a horrendous crunch as the monster drove a spiked leg through it. Atem tumbled away, letting go of his head to pick himself up. Something rose withing him, a frayed line was keeping something from breaking forth, and the more he moved the more it thinned. His lips pulled back in an aggressive sneer as the heat overtook him.

"_Time to die!"_ The monster lunged at him with another spiked leg, aiming right for his heart.

Something black erupted from behind him and speared the monster's leg. Atem's vision sharpened intensively, and that frayed line within him snapped. The monster shook out the black spear from its leg with a pained hiss, and stepped back as Atem convulsed.

More things erupted from behind him, sharp and black. They felt connected to him, and they supported the sudden weight that accompanied them by stabbing the ground. He stood there, shaky as a newborn foal.

"_Well, well, well." _It murmured. _"Look what was hiding here: a little newborn." _It took a step closer to him, and the small, rational part of his mind yelled at him to get away. It laughed at him, mocking his wobbly attempt to back up. His whole body felt like lead, burning lead.

"_How perfect is this?" _It crooned. _"Not only so I get to kill a loathsome _hunter_, but I've also found a newborn that hasn't been imprinted yet!" _It leaned forward, opening its arms in welcome. "_Come with me, little newborn, and I will show you the wonders of our kind." _Atem swayed. His vision grayed at her words, and his awareness dimmed. "_Oh, there are so many wonders!" _it continued. "_The wonders of battle and blood and chaos. How marvelous it all is!"_

Atem couldn't think anymore. The monster's words wrapped around his mind, lulling him into a compliant stupor. He stepped forward, ignorant as black metal inched over his skin like a shell. It would be so easy to go with the monster. It would be so...fun. His lips curled into a wicked smile.

"No!"

Atem swung his head around as the monster hissed. Mouto, still bleeding from his wound, was struggling to stand up.

"Don't listen to her, Atem!" he yelled. "She's a parasite! Nothing human is left in her!"

"_Kill him," _it whispered. _"Kill him, and spill your first blood tonight!"_ Atem lurched forward at her words. The scent of blood wafted to his nose; it was metallic and strange, and caused a mixed sense of revulsion and longing.

"Don't, Atem," Mouto whispered. A chorus of "kill him" rose within him, and the monster urged him on. "You're not a monster yet."

He lunged, suddenly and wobbly, at Mouto with one of his black spears. There was a hiss of energy as a shining, white claw caught his spear, holding onto the end. It _hurt!_ It hurt like boiling water and electrocution as the same time. His vision swirled between cloudy and clear, and his head _hurt._ He leaned forward, intent on finishing Mouto off.

"Please, Atem," Mouto said. "I know there's still some human in you. Don't be a monster; don't make me kill you. Please, _think_."

Atem froze, a snarl on his lips. Human, he was...human?

"_Kill him!"_

He didn't...he didn't want to kill anyone. What was he doing? The boiling pain on his spear stopped when he quit pushing, and the tense pressure relaxed to where Mouto's claw was merely holding on. A gentle warmth lapped at the edge of his mind, and he turned towards it.

"Yu...gi?"

"Yes," Yugi smiled in relief. "It's me."

"_No!"_ The monster next to Atem lunged at Mouto, and the brief moment of clarity vanished as he reacted. A second black spear nailed the monster in the shoulder and forcibly pushed it away.''

"_You're siding with _him_?!_" The monster screamed. It spun on him, human face contorting in rage, and Atem stood his ground defiantly. _"He's a hunter! He's killed hundreds of us! Can't you smell it on him?!"_

Atem took a step in front of Mouto and snarled.

"_Traitor,"_ it hissed. "_To think that you're _imprinted_ on him, disgusting." _It lunged at him. "_You shall die with him!"_

They fought, trading blow for blow. Atem's movement quickly became more graceful, though he still stumbled. He grinned in delight of the fight. This fight, this fight was what he wanted, what he was born for.

The monster finally fell. Multiple black spears dug into its body. It snarled at him, and Atem barred his teeth at it. He could kill it. It would be so easy to stab it right through the chest, or even the brain. He mulled over the decision.

"Atem! Don't!"

Atem spun around as Mouto appeared out of his peripheral vision. Warm feelings pressed against his mind, whispering things he couldn't understand. His harsh breathing and rapid heart beat slowed and his attention focused on Mouto.

"It's ok now, Atem." Mouto said. "You don't have to kill her. I can take it from here."

A strange sense of primitive fury passed over him. It raged that the monster was _his_ to kill. _His_ prey. The moment passed, however, and he quietly stepped away, black spear pulling out of the monster with a sickening squish. His body swayed against the gentle whispering in his head.

Yugi reached a hand out towards the monster, streams of glass wrapped around his arms. It whined and pathetically tried to get away. Atem growled, and he took a step forward. The urge to chase and maim died a second later as Mouto pressed a hand against the monster's human forehead.

It screamed and writhed against Mouto's touch. Clear glass raced over its body, and once it was encased, it shattered and the monster's body crumbled like a broken mirror, leaving behind the wounded body of Mrs. Chonos. An echo of the monster's scream swirled around his head.

"There we go," Mouto whispered to the woman. "That should clear you up." He stood slowly, one hand covering his wound. "Now, what should we do about you?"

Atem blinked, and then tilted his head. There was a rather pleasant thrumming going on in his ears, and there wasn't a particular need to do anything, now that the monster was gone. A beaten and weary woman wouldn't give him much in a fight.

There was a sudden noise of people running around the corner. Hissing, Atem moved to stand in front of Mouto.

"Oh, no," he said. "That's enough fighting for today." He laid a hand on Atem's shoulder. "Let's get out of here."

He hesitated only a moment, before ignoring the oncoming squad. He followed Mouto obediently, like a loyal hound. They got to the door by the time the squad saw them. Atem hissed when they raised their guns, and he reacted on the knowledge that he couldn't stand up to bullets (there was a thought that the black plats which had covered almost half his body would protect him, but it wasn't a long thought. He grabbed Mouto, his black spears hitting the ground to support the extra weight, and he quickly retreated.

Mouto squeaked when he was grabbed, but he didn't protest of struggle. "This way!" he yelled when they reached a fork. Atem followed his directions, leaving the yelling pursuers behind.

The rest was a blur to Atem. His mind zoned out, hearing only Yugi's directions. It wasn't long before they were outside and standing in front of a long spherical object. It was easily the size of a trailer, maybe a little wider.

"Here." Mouto said, and Atem set him down. He watched benignly as Mouto laid a hand on the sphere, and a green panel opened at his touch. After pressing a few buttons, a large panel slid open, revealing a small, empty room. He smiled, and took half a step in, before turning and offering a hand to Atem.

There was no compulsion to take his hand, like during the fight earlier. He could chose whether or not to accept whatever Mouto was offering. His foggy mind hesitated a moment longer, before he reached forward and laid his hand in Mouto's. There was a smile of relief, and he was pulled inside.

The instant he stepped through the threshold, pain raced through his body. His body convulsed as his black spears suddenly grew spikes and steamed. Something ate at his thoughts.

"Atem!" Yugi yelled. Atem didn't even register his touch. What was wrong with him?! "Dammit, you're regressing."

The scent of blood made him convulse more, and he was pinned to the floor by one of Mouto's glass claws.

"I hope you can forgive me for this." A blood-covered hand was all but shoved into his mouth. He no longer understood what Mouto was saying, and all he could feel was fire. He chocked, and all the sudden his whole body went slack. Darkness clouded his vision, and he knew no more.

~(*)~


	4. Outlet

Here's a stand-alone drabble! :D It's actually my first cannon-esque thing (layered with a lil bit of headcanon). This drabble takes place in between SZ and Duelist. I hope you guys enjoy it.

Drabble: Outlet

Characters: Solomon Mouto, Yugi Mouto, Yami no Yugi.

~(*)~

It was rather hard to surprise Solomon Mouto. He had lived through his share of scandals and conspiracies, and he would _swear_ that nothing surprised him more than when his little grandson grew hair like his _and_ loved games. The whole Millennium Puzzle thing had mildly surprised him, but the old thing _was_ from Egypt, so he supposed he should have seen this coming. He wasn't surprised when his grandson started making friends, or when he started coming home later, or even when an ancient spirit started playing shadow games with his grandson's transgressors. However, he _was_ surprised when he found a mass of the new Duel Monsters cards scattered about Yugi's bedroom with said kid taking enthusiastically to someone Solomon could not see.

"-Attacks points are here! And if you have the stronger monster, and you attack, then you subtract the higher attack from the lower attack, but only if the opposing monster is in attack mode-" Yugi cut off his excited explanation as if someone had tapped his shoulder. "Hm?" He turned to look at the door.

"What are you doing up so late, Yugi?" Solomon asked. It was a school night, and if he remembered right Yugi had a quiz tomorrow.

"Oh! I'm just showing the Other Me how to play Duel Monsters," he smiled. "He had asked about them earlier today, and I promised to show him after I got done with homework." By the looks of things, that had been quite a while ago. "It's a really popular game, so he would have lots of people to pay with."

The Other Yugi must have said _something_, because Yugi suddenly blushed and stammered. "Well, _of course_ you'll play with other people! It's no fun playing by yourself." He was quiet for a few moments. "You play games with friends. Jounouchi would like it..."

Quietly, Solomon bid his grandson and his friend a 'good-night,' and shut the door. He listened for a moment as Yugi and the Other Yugi continued the one-sided conversation. With a smile, Solomon walked back to his own room. It would be good for the Other Yugi to learn something new, and, rough start or not, the Other Yugi was bringing Yugi out of his shell. With no more shadow games to be played, the ancient spirit needed a new outlet. After all, what could be dangerous about a card game?


	5. Spirit Partner 03

Spirit Partner 03. Prompt: sick.

~(*)~

"_You need to rest._"

"No," Atem argued, "I _need_ to get to school." Huffing tiredly, he rummaged through his dresser for his uniform. He knew it was in here somewhere in here; he could swear he had laid it out last night. Why on earth were his clothes' colors all mixed up, too?

"_You have a fever."_ Yuugi pressed. Atem tried to glare at him, but his vision was blurry and he ended up glaring at the floor instead.

"_No_," he mumbled. "I need...I need to-" a coughing fit interrupted him, and he tried to muffle it in the jacket he had just picked up.

"_No,"_ Yuugi's voice was firm, as was his grip as he steered the sick Atem back to bed. "_You brought this upon yourself, running around like the sun wouldn't rise if you didn't do everything. You are going to let your body rest today."_

Atem mumbled a token argument as he was sat down on his bed. He was _so_ tired, but he had notes to take, a club meeting to go to, parents to make proud.

"But-"

"_Shh_, _your parents will understand._" Yuugi climbed into bed after him, tenderly taking off Atem's mismatched socks and sole shoe. His skin was cool to the touch, and it felt good against his heated body. Atem curled onto his side as Yugi brought his snake half to loop over his legs.

"_You're safe here,_" Yuugi comforted. Atem sighed as his spirit partner ran a hand through his hair. It reminded him of when he was younger, and his parents weren't fighting. His mother always took the day off of work to take care of him when he was sick. The throbbing in his head lessened slightly, and he tried to relax.

Everything hurt, but it was easier to focus on the coolness of Yuugi's skin than the burning in his head. Atem barely noticed when Yuugi started to hum. It was a lullaby, and if Atem had any energy, he would have come up with some snide remark and stormed off. It was childish, how soothing it was, and Atem couldn't find it in him to care.


	6. Through the Hemisphere 02

Through the Hemisphere

Part 2

Summary: When Atem got a new job as a night guard, the last thing he expected was to be abducted by aliens. Well, one alien, who seemed pretty dedicated to turning his life upside down.

~(*)~

Atem woke with a start. His heart raced and his breathing was rapid. For several minutes, he couldn't move or think, and his vision was completely white. He didn't know where he was, or what terrified him so.

By sheer force of will, Atem made himself calm down. His desperate gasps for air became hard, shuddering breathes, and his vision slowly came back.

_What the hell?_

The room he was in was completely gray, save fore a little green band around the ceiling. It wasn't a big room, not any bigger than his bedroom. There was one bed, which he was laying on, and a collection of two large cabinets and a desk covered the majority of two walls.

He sat up and winced as his sore muscles protested. Bandages wrapped around his hands. His clothes were torn in some places, and he was missing his shoes.

_Where on earth am I?_ He wondered. The last thing he remembered was staring down the monster with Mrs. Chonos's face. He shuddered. The mere thought of her made him want to hide. But how did he get here? He didn't think they had a medical room, and it didn't look like any hospital room he'd been in before. It wasn't like anyone would mean him harm if he got up and looked around, so he did just that.

He quietly slid off of the bed, grimacing as his body protested. His back was especially sore, and it felt like he had just done some heavy lifting. He could feel the cool floor through his socks, and he waited a moment to get his balance.

In a few steps, he was at the door. There was a vertical slot instead of a handle, with a little green panel next to it, and a two by two foot window. He leaned up against the door and looked out through the glass. There was a hallway that split right and left. It had a small, illuminated green strip the went around the bottom of the wall, and the floor was tiled a soft chrome.

_I hope it's unlocked_,he thought as he reached for the door. He put his hand in the opening and pulled it to the side. The door slid open with a hiss, and an unfamiliar smell came in through the hallway. It kind of smelled like metal, but it was different somehow. He took a deep breath and stepped through the doorway, sliding it shut behind him.

He took a moment to examine both directions. The right side had two more doors before coming to a dead end, and the left had no doors but immediately turned right. Seeing no exit to the right, or any people, Atem decided to go left. He made it to the corner in a few quick steps, and he looked around. The hallway continued with doors on each side. Frowning, Atem walked through the empty hallway. It looked like he was going to have a hard time finding someone.

Eventually, Atem came across the sound of voices. He sighed in relief. It was definitely creepy with no one around, and even though Atem was used to being by himself due to his job, it was unnerving to be alone in an unfamiliar place. There was an open door, with a light shining through it.

"...an idiot." One voice said. It wasn't one that he recognized, and it had an accent he couldn't place.

"I couldn't do anything about it." That was Mouto's voice, Atem stopped right outside the open door. "You know the transportation slows my reaction time, and if I hadn't been _rushed_," there was a pointed emphasis on the word "rushed," "then I would have known that there were _two_ of them."

"And why the _hell_ did you bring it back here?"

"_He_ is an arch-type. Of a metal class, no less." If Atem didn't know any better, he'd say that Mouto was proud of himself. "And you know that I don't have the tech to remove an imprint. I could have killed us both, if I had tried. The path goes both ways, you know that."

"That's why you should have dealt with it _before_ it could imprint."

"Hey! I had my hands full with the first one!" Mouto exclaimed. "And _he_ wasn't swayed by the parasite's _attempt_ to imprint him. He was even around the parasite long before me, and probably had plenty of chances to imprint. He _chose_ to follow me." Mouto's voice quieted. "This is the first time one of _them_ has had a choice!. I refuse to let a choice as big as that go wasted."

_Monster?_ Atem thought. _Imprint? What the hell are they talking about?_ He leaned a little bit closer, as the next bout of words were mumbled.

"...I'm not doing your paperwork this time," the first voice grumbled. "Your choice, your problem."

"Yea, yea." Mouto replied, his voice relaxing as if he had won the argument. "I'm going on medical leave anyway."

"...Do I want to know?"

"I left my armor vest on board, too."

There was an intense sigh from the person Mouto was talking to, and he felt like it was more exasperated than worried.

"How you are alive will never cease to amaze me."

"Haha, maybe some universal being likes me."

"_Everyone_ likes you."

"It's not like that. I just give everyone a chance, even the monsters," Mouto's voice turned wry. "Besides, I think that my _guest_ would have to disagree with you." There was a punctuation on "guest" that made Atem step back. Mouto sounded like he was talking to _him._ Whatever was going on, he wanted nothing to do with it. He was getting out of here.


End file.
